Korean And vietnam Wars
The Korean war started only five short years after World War II had ended, and while medical advances continued throughout the years, it was a transportation advance that helped reduce the number of wounded soldiers who died in the Korean War by 48 percent: the helicopter (1). For the first time, men could be taken from the field, two at a time, and transported by air to a hospital, greatly reducing the amount of time it took for injured soldiers to receive treatment (1). In addition, the Korean War also saw another major advancement in first aid care on the battlefield: The MASH unit, which stands for “mobile Army surgical hospital.” These portable medical centers were able to travel with the fight, ensuring that front line soldiers were never far from care, whether they needed life-saving surgery or the simple setting of a broken bone. In addition, the national blood baking program expanded rapidly and saw new techniques such as plastic bags for transportation and delivery and new body armor was developed that increased mobility while offering protection during combat, which helped save numerous lives.
Below is a short clip on the importance of MASH units in the Korean War:
Below is a short clip on the importance of MASH units in the Korean War:
Approximately a decade after the end of the Korean War, the United States joined yet another conflict- the Vietnam War. Because so much of this war was fought in the jungles, without any front line, MASH units were not as practical as they has been in Korea. Instead, the Army relied more heavily than ever on air transport, “employing a fleet of UH-1 ‘Huey' helicopters that could each transport up to nine men at a time to any of the 28 hospitals the Army had set up throughout [Vietnam]. A medical crew could load a Huey and get the wounded passengers to safety in an average of 35 minutes- with care beginning in flight. The system resulted in an impressive 98 percent survival rate of airlifted men” (1). Each of these wars had major advancements in medicine and injury treatment that saved the lives of soldiers in combat and were soon used to treat civilians and improve lives around the world.Below are pictures of Huey helicopters used for the transportation of injured soldiers: